South Korea’s top trade envoy said on Monday it may be possible to strike an “in-principle” trade deal with the United States by an August 1 deadline and signalled Seoul may be open to allow greater access to its agriculture markets, local media reported. Minister for Trade Yeo Han-koo, who held high-level talks with US […]
Read MoreBy Sam Beltran As the Asia-Pacific’s power dynamics continue to evolve and shift, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s visit to China promises to be a test of his country’s ability to walk the fine line between economic self-interest and strategic resolve. His trip, which began on Saturday, unfolds against the backdrop of Australia’s deepening security […]
Read MoreBy Park Chan-kyong Russia’s appeals to North Korea for military manpower have taken on new urgency with Sergey Lavrov’s weekend trip to the country. The Russian foreign minister’s visit, his first to North Korea since 2009, signalled Moscow’s growing reliance on its neighbour for troops and engineering support, analysts say – suggesting that Kim Jong-un’s […]
Read MoreBy Park Chan-kyong America’s highest-ranking military officer has called for closer trilateral defence ties with South Korea and Japan in response to what he described as an “unprecedented” military build-up by North Korea and China. The remarks by General Dan Caine, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, come amid growing pressure on Seoul […]
Read MoreChina’s President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to Suriname’s President-elect Jennifer Simons, Chinese state media Xinhua reported on Sunday. Xi said he attaches great importance to the development of China-Suriname relations and that he is willing to work with Simmons to promote greater development of the strategic partnership between the two countries, Xinhua reported.
Read MoreChina and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have agreed to submit a pact upgrading their free trade areas to their leaders for approval in October, according to China’s foreign minister Wang Yi on Saturday. Negotiations about the so-called 3.0 version of the free trade zone started in November 2022 and completed in May, seeking […]
Read MoreBy Huw Watkin For much of its history, Australia’s identity has been defined by distance – geographical, political, psychological. Now, with global tensions rising, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is testing whether that distance might yet be a source of strength. The answer, he seems to believe, lies in recalibrating Australia’s relationships with friends and rivals […]
Read MoreRussian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during a visit to North Korea on Saturday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said. The ministry published on Telegram a picture of the two men together, in a meeting it said had taken place in the North Korean port city of Wonsan. On Saturday, Lavrov warned […]
Read MoreBy Julian Ryall Tokyo has expressed “serious concerns” to Beijing after a Chinese fighter jet came close to a Japanese aircraft operating in international airspace over the East China Sea on two occasions this week, with analysts suggesting that a pattern is emerging of China being increasingly willing to challenge Japan at sea and in […]
Read MoreUS Secretary of State Marco Rubio is wrapping his up his second and final day at a Southeast Asian security conference with a high-stakes meeting with his Chinese counterpart as tensions grow between Washington and Beijing over issues from trade to security and China’s support for Russia’s war in Ukraine. After discussions with regional countries […]
Read More
